Sp3

Demo at ATypI

Superpolator 3 is getting ready for testing. If you’re going to ATypI conference in Amsterdam and would like to see a demo, just let me know. Note: I won’t be showing it during my talk on Wednesday, but you should come and see the slides anyway.

3?

In 2010 I had extended the mathematical engine of Superpolator to liberate the design space of a couple of limitations. This is an independent module, abstracted and optimized, separate from the application. Add some new ideas and insights about the interface, valuable feedback from the field and the things I learned building the first version, I had to conclude it was necessary to write everything new. New controls. New file format. As with most projects of this scale, I underestimated the amount of time it would take. At the same time, it was impossible to continue with the old code and radical decisions just have to be taken.

At Robothon 2012 I showed prototypes of the new controls. Since then, other work and projects allowing, I’ve been working on the project. My UX department (me) would frequently brainstorm with the UI department (me) and each would come up with valid ideas that would required the other to start over. Once you know how to solve a particular problem, other solutions might be easier to implement, but it is impossible to consider them. In the mean time the R&D department (me) would propose new features that would drive the other departments up the wall. For several months UX, UI and R&D were not not talking to each other and the board of directors (me) had to step in and get them back to the table. Things were cleared up and all coders (me) are now firing on all cylinders.